National Laboratories

The Federation of American Scientists is calling on Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to reinstate Los Alamos nonproliferation analyst James Doyle, who was fired earlier this summer in retaliation for a report advocating a world without nuclear weapons. In an Aug. 21 letter to Moniz released Friday, FAS President Charles Ferguson said Doyle’s firing “represents an […]

DNFSB Raises Safety Concerns About LANL TRU Waste Facility Project NS&D Monitor 8/22/2014 With construction looming on a new Transuranic Waste Facility project at Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board is raising a handful of safety issues, including some that are old and some that are new. In an Aug. 7 […]

DNFSB Raises Safety Concerns About LANL TRU Waste Facility Project WC Monitor 8/22/2014 With construction looming on a new Transuranic Waste Facility project at Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board is raising a handful of safety issues, including some that are old and some that are new. In an Aug. 7 […]

The wife of a Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist was sentenced to one year and a day in prison in connection with her role in an espionage plot. According to the Albuquerque Journal, Marjorie Roxby Mascheroni, 71, was sentenced yesterday, receiving a lighter sentence than she could have. Like her husband, Pedro Leonardo Mascheroni, who […]

With the Administration moving forward on a new plutonium strategy that involves building modular facilities to house plutonium work at Los Alamos National Laboratory, a new report from Congressional Research Service nuclear weapons policy specialist Jonathan Medalia raises a host of questions about how much space is available at the lab for plutonium work. While […]

With construction looming on a new Transuranic Waste Facility project at Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board is raising a handful of safety issues, including some that are old and some that are new. In an Aug. 7 letter to National Nuclear Security Administration chief Frank Klotz, DNFSB Chairman Peter Winokur […]

Dr. Grace Bochenek, as expected, was officially announced yesterday as the new Director of the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory. Weapons Complex Morning Briefing first reported two weeks ago that Bochenek was DOE’s choice to replace acting NETL Director Scott Klara, who has led the lab since taking over for former Director Anthony […]

Mike Nartker WC Monitor 8/1/2014 With no explanation, the Department of Energy abruptly changed the management of the DOE Berkley Site Office late last week. Paul Golan was named acting director, replacing Aundra Richards, who had headed up the Berkley Site Office since 2005. Golan also continues to serve as Director of the DOE SLAC […]

Abby L. Harvey GHG Monitor 8/1/2014 Dr. Grace M. Bochenek has emerged as the top candidate to serve as the new director of the National Energy Technology Laboratory, GHG Monitor has learned. Bochenek currently serves as Director of the U.S. Army’s Research, Development and Engineering Command’s (RDECOM’s) Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC). […]

NNSA Pushing Back Construction Start for RLWTF Upgrade Project WC Monitor 8/1/2014 The National Nuclear Security Administration is pushing back the planned start of construction of a new low-level liquid waste treatment facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory based on the results of a peer review that the NNSA is so far declining to discuss […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 8/1/2014 The Nuclear Weapons Council has formally committed to build two modular structures to help sustain Los Alamos National Laboratory’s plutonium capabilities, opening the door to freeing up approximately $90 million in funds that had been in limbo as lawmakers pushed for a promise on the modular approach. Nuclear Weapons Council […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 8/1/2014 Los Alamos National Laboratory contractor Los Alamos National Security, LLC, could soon be on the hook for cost overruns on major projects, according to documents obtained by NS&D Monitor. According to a March 25-28 review of the Transuranic Waste Facility project, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, NNSA’s Office […]

Staff Reports RW Monitor 8/1/2014 Los Alamos National Laboratory has begun conducting market research to help find vendors capable of providing Type B transportation casks. Los Alamos’ Off-Site Source Recovery Project has recently obtained a Nuclear Regulatory Commission Certificate of Compliance on a “Type B(U) package which will be used to over pack shielded devices […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 8/1/2014 USEC’s contract with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to continue work on the American Centrifuge Project has been formally extended through March of next year as the lab this week exercised a $41.6 million six-month option to fund the program. The extension, revealed in a July 31 filing with the Securities […]

Todd Jacobson RW Monitor 8/1/2014 USEC’s contract with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to continue work on the American Centrifuge Project has been formally extended through March of next year as the lab this week exercised a $41.6 million six-month option to fund the program. The extension, revealed in a July 31 filing with the Securities […]

Mike Nartker NS&D Monitor 8/1/2014 With no explanation, the Department of Energy abruptly changed the management of the DOE Berkley Site Office late last week. Paul Golan was named acting director, replacing Aundra Richards, who had headed up the Berkley Site Office since 2005. Golan also continues to serve as Director of the DOE SLAC […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 8/1/2014 The delivery of key nuclear detonation sensor equipment for use on Air Force satellites has been jeopardized by poor project management at Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories, according to a Department of Energy Inspector General’s Office report released this week. The National Nuclear Security Administration was tasked with producing […]

Senior Analyst Alleges Retaliation in Firing Over Publication of Nuclear Abolition Article NS&D Monitor 8/1/2014 A senior nonproliferation analyst at Los Alamos National Laboratory says he was fired by the lab in retaliation for a report that aligns with President Obama’s nuclear policies but ran afoul of laboratory officials, according to a report by the […]

DNFSB Reveals Concerns About Maintaining Y-12 Uranium Facilities NS&D Monitor 8/1/2014 The National Nuclear Security Administration has so far refused to release a copy of the annual assessment of Y-12’s old production facilities, but a recently released memo by staff of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board revealed some highlights—as well as the concerns about […]

The Nuclear Weapons Council has formally committed to build two modular structures to help sustain Los Alamos National Laboratory’s plutonium capabilities, opening the door to free up approximately $90 million in funds that had been in limbo as lawmakers pushed for a promise on the modular approach. Nuclear Weapons Council Chairman Frank Kendall and National […]

Los Alamos National Laboratory has begun conducting market research to help find vendors capable of providing Type B transportation casks. Los Alamos’ Off-Site Source Recovery Project has recently obtained a Nuclear Regulatory Commission Certificate of Compliance on a “Type B(U) package which will be used to over pack shielded devices containing radioactive sealed sources,” according […]

Paul Golan has been named acting manager of the Department of Energy’s Berkeley Site Office, replacing Aundra Richards, WC Monitor has learned. The move was effective late last week. Golan, who currently serves as manager of the SLAC Site Office, will continue to serve in both positions. It remains unclear why the change was made […]

Los Alamos National Laboratory contractor Los Alamos National Security, LLC, could soon be on the hook for cost overruns on major projects, according to documents obtained by NS&D Monitor. According to a March 25-28 construction review of the Transuranic Waste Facility project obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, NNSA’s Office of Acquisition and Project […]

Staff Reports NS&D Monitor 7/25/2014 The National Nuclear Security Administration’s three nuclear weapons laboratories garnered nine 2013 R&D 100 Awards handed out by R&D Magazine, led by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, which was selected for four awards. Known as the “Oscars of Innovation,” the awards have been given out since 1963 for the best technological […]

The Department of Energy is soon expected to announce the selection of Dr. Grace M. Bochenek as the new director of the National Energy Technology Laboratory, Weapons Complex Morning Briefing has learned. Bochenek currently serves as Director of the U.S. Army’s Research, Development and Engineering Command’s (RDECOM’s) Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC). […]

Klotz Completes Lab Visit, Touring Additive Manufacturing, High Explosives Application Facility NS&D Monitor 7/18/2014 New National Nuclear Security Administration chief Frank Klotz continued his tour of the weapons complex, visiting Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory this week. Klotz’s two-day visit included updates on various programs such as national security, high energy density physics, cyber security, and […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 7/18/2014 Bechtel said this week that it is establishing a program aimed at developing cyber security experts in conjunction with the two nuclear weapons laboratories it runs. Early-career professionals will rotate through Bechtel headquarters and Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories during the three-year program, which is designed to provide […]

Los Alamos National Laboratory’s nuclear criticality safety program is improving but remains “inadequate,” according to a Department of Energy report submitted to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board late last week. Operations at the lab’s Plutonium Facility have been paused since June of last year because of criticality safety concerns—the lab had 38 nuclear criticality […]

Kenneth Fletcher WC Monitor 7/11/2014 In yet another issue linked to the incidents at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, Los Alamos National Laboratory last week reported noncompliances in how it processed waste in a batch of drums suspected of contributing to the WIPP release. The Department of Energy and contractor Los Alamos National Security reported […]

Mike Nartker NS&D Monitor 7/11/2014 The National Nuclear Security Administration has entered into a contract arrangement with Cray to develop a new supercomputer to aid the NNSA’s stockpile stewardship activities. ‘Trinity,’ as the new supercomputer will be called, is scheduled for delivery beginning mid-2015 and will have “at least eight times greater applications performance” than […]